This application generally relates to data processing and, more particularly, to activation of prepaid services.
Purchasing prepaid services can be cumbersome. Many people purchase prepaid calling minutes, prepaid Internet-access services, and/or prepaid service units. When the prepaid service has a nearly zero balance, more credit must be purchased and applied to the account. A prepaid wireless customer, for example, commonly purchases a prepaid card from a merchant's retail location. The customer then uses his or her wireless phone to call an activation number. The customer then responds to Interactive Voice Response (IVR) prompts and enters a personal identification number (PIN) from the prepaid card. This manually-input information associates the customer's wireless phone to the prepaid account. This conventional activation process provides, at best, a mediocre customer experience. Moreover, customers frequently make errors when manually entering activation information. What is needed, then, are methods, systems, and products that reduce the need for manual entry of activation information, thus reducing the potential for error and improving the customer's experience.